A Liverpool firm which made more than 100,000 nuisance calls has been fined £70,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The Lead Experts Limited was responsible for 111,072 automated calls to people who had not agreed to be contacted in this way. This is against the law.

The firm said it had bought people’s contact details from another company and then paid it to carry out the calls, which were about reducing energy bills. But an ICO investigation found that The Lead Experts were responsible for ensuring they had the necessary consents to make the calls.

Steve Eckersley, ICO Head of Enforcement, said:

“Companies cannot hide behind paying another firm to make the calls for them. They must take responsibility and, ultimately accept the consequences if they break the law.”

Following the ICO’s investigation, Companies House posted plans for The Lead Experts to be struck off and dissolved. The ICO has made clear that it is committed to recovering fines it has issued and will work with insolvency practitioners and liquidators if a company moves to insolvency after being fined.

The ICO’s powers will be further strengthened when the government introduces a new law allowing it to fine the company directors behind nuisance call firms.